Quality of Life Comparison

If you lived in Greece instead of United States, you would:

be 31.2% less likely to be obese

In United States, 36.2% of adults are obese. In Greece, that number is 24.9% of people.

Economy

make 53.4% less money

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,500, while in Greece, the GDP per capita is $27,700.

be 5.1 times more likely to be unemployed

In United States, 4.4% of adults are unemployed. In Greece, that number is 22.3%.

be 2.4 times more likely to live below the poverty line

In United States, 15.1% live below the poverty line. In Greece, however, that number is 36.0%.

spend 21.2% more on taxes

United States has a top tax rate of 39.6%. In Greece, the top tax rate is 48.0%.

Life

be 78.6% less likely to die during childbirth

In United States, approximately 14.0 women per 1,000 births die during labor. In Greece, 3.0 women do.

be 20.7% less likely to die during infancy

In United States, approximately 5.8 children die before they reach the age of one. In Greece, on the other hand, 4.6 children do.

have 32.8% less children

In United States, there are approximately 12.5 babies per 1,000 people. In Greece, there are 8.4 babies per 1,000 people.

Expenditures

spend 52.6% less on healthcare

United States spends 17.1% of its total GDP on healthcare. In Greece, that number is 8.1% of GDP.

Geography

see 31.4% less coastline

United States has a total of 19,924 km of coastline. In Greece, that number is 13,676 km.

Learn more about Greece

Greece is a sovereign country in Europe, with a total land area of approximately 130,647 sq km. Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and other anti-communist and communist rebels. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 1974, democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. In 2010, the prospect of a Greek default on its euro-denominated debt created severe strains within the EMU and raised the question of whether a member country might voluntarily leave the common currency or be removed.

How big is Greece compared to United States?
See an in-depth size comparison.